'The true Soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because He loves what is behind him.' -G. K. Chesterton

30 March 2010

Farewell To Another Pioneer

I'm a gearhead. Always have been always will be. I started working on cars as a kid and my interest was fueled by a grandfather who was a mechanical wizard. He taught me everything from rebuilding engines to painting. In his 70's he scratch built a V-8 Chevy Vega before the kits became widely available. Together we worked on cars in his shop until the wee hours. I learned an appreciation for all things automotive at the feet of a master.

My first love was GM. I owned everything from a 1948 pickup we dropped a 327 and a muncie 4 speed into to my Corvette. In between was a 69 SS Chevelle with a 396 and a rock crusher, a 69 Camaro with a 350 and TH350, a 63 SS Impala with a 283 and a Turboglide and many, many more.

Still, there was always something about a Mustang. I never owned one but I always secretly liked them (As a Chevy man one could never admit to liking anything blue oval). Classic lines, a wide array of engines and a reasonable price. All made the Mustang a great car and an American icon.

For any car guy, the death of an automotive pioneer is always a sad day. The passing of Zora Arkus Duntov was a day of mourning for me. Now, we've lost another one.

Donald Frey, the designer of the Mustang has died at age 86. I mourn his passing and send my condolences to the Frey family.

We're fast running out of pioneers in this country it seems.

Six

29 March 2010

Happy Passover

It is sundown here in california and the beginning of the Passover celebration.

To all our Jewish friends, Happy Passover. May the Lord bless you and your households.

And to our stalwart allies in Israel. Just ignore that Putz in the Whitehouse. He neither represents us nor speaks for us.

Six

28 March 2010

Sunday Kipling

The Destroyers
1898

The strength of twice three thousand horse
That seeks the single goal;
The line that holds the rending course,
The hate that swings the whole;
The stripped hulls, slinking through the gloom,
At gaze and gone again --
The Brides of Death that wait the groom --
The Choosers of the Slain!


Offshore where sea and skyline blend
In rain, the daylight dies;
The sullen, shouldering swells attend
Night and our sacrifice.
Adown the stricken capes no flare --
No mark on spit or bar, --
Girdled and desperate we dare
The blindfold game of war.

Nearer the up-flung beams that spell
The council of our foes;
Clearer the barking guns that tell
Their scattered flank to close.
Sheer to the trap they crowd their way
From ports for this unbarred.
Quiet, and count our laden prey,
The convoy and her guard!

On shoal with scarce a foot below,
Where rock and islet throng,
Hidden and hushed we watch them throw
Their anxious lights along.
Not here, not here your danger lies --
(Stare hard, O hooded eyne!)
Save were the dazed rock-pigeons rise
The lit cliffs give no sign.

Therefore -- to break the rest ye seek,
The Narrow Seas to clear --
Hark to the siren's whimpering shriek --
The driven death is here!
Look to your van a league away, --
What midnight terror stays
The bulk that checks against the spray
Her crackling tops ablaze?

Hit, and hard hit! The blow went home,
The muffled, knocking stroke --
The steam that overruns the foam --
The foam that thins to smoke --
The smoke that clokes the deep aboil --
The deep that chokes her throes
Till, streaked with ash and sleeked with oil,
The lukewarm whirlpools close!

A shadow down the sickened wave
Long since her slayer fled:
But hear their chattering quick-fires rave
Astern, abeam, ahead!
Panic that shells the drifting spar --
Loud waste with none to check --
Mad fear that rakes a scornful star
Or sweeps a consort's deck.

Now, while their silly smoke hangs thick,
Now ere their wits they find,
Lay in and lance them to the quick --
Our gallied whales are blind!
Good luck to those that see the end,
Good-bye to those that drown --
For each his chance as chance shall send --
And God for all! Shut down!

The strength of twice three thousand horse
That serve the one command;
The hand that heaves the headlong force,
The hate that backs the hand:
The doom-bolt in the darkness freed,
The mine that splits the main;
The white-hot wake, the 'wildering speed --
The Choosers of the Slain!

27 March 2010

Brain Damage


Either I gotta grow some new hair or I need to remember to duck.
That's right, 4 times. Even Trooper doesn't need 4 reminders to learn a new skill.
The doorway in the shed is low.
The doorway in the shed is low.
The doorway in the shed is low.


Six

26 March 2010

Hearts And Minds

The estimable Ed Rasimus has an important post up at Thunder Tales that is worth a moment of your time to read. Ed is a man I greatly admire and respect. For what it's worth, I read everything he writes carefully because he's an intelligent and considered man. The fact that he's a combat veteran Fighter Pilot who has known and worked with some of the great American military leaders lends to his credibility in my opinion. He is also, like me, a Patriot of the first stripe. Ed has again provided his leadership on this issue and I decided it was time to make my own view clear.

I've been reading the goings on at Sipsey Street myself since the HC bill passed. I read Mike's call for window breaking and the follow up stories as well as his insistence that it was and is a reasonable reaction to this historic vote against American Liberty.

I disagree. There may very well come a time when a call to arms is not only necessary but justified but that time is not now.

States are even now lining up together and fighting the bill in court.

Republicans showed well at the various votes on the legislation and seem to have heard and understood the aversion most of America has to this bill and the ulterior motives of those who enacted it.

The Tea Party and other political groups are fired up and involved in a way I have not seen in my 50 years of life.

We have a clear path to electoral victory in November and 2012 and therefore an opportunity to repeal HC. I know it has never happened before but so what? Just because no one has ever repealed such a bill in the past is no assurance that we cannot. Just look at what has happened over the last 16 months and tell me anything is impossible.

Bore Patch has an interesting post here. Read it and follow the links. The smear tactics of the left are being exposed and many Americans are refusing to buy into it. The race card and violence card have a lot less power than they once had and the msm is taking a beating because of it.

Redstate shows the how far the left is forced to go to try and turn this into another GOP apologyfest. They're looking like idiots and it's in our best interest to let them continue without giving them legitimate ammunition.

All that disappears if we can't control ourselves. Breaking windows sounds daring and exciting, striking a real blow for The Cause, but it's not. It's juvenile and ultimately self defeating. We conservatives have the most infuriating tendency for self destruction. Instead of going out on the attack, we're forced to constantly answer questions about right wing violence. Instead of talking about the real issues, the loss of liberty and freedom of choice, we are being bombarded with talking heads calling us every vile epithet you can think of and forcing us to respond. If you think Middle America, that 40% we need to take back out political system, isn't watching and being influenced by such you're kidding yourself.

What then you might reasonably ask. Ok, Here's how I see it.

Go and read this missive by a man named Maurice P. Mctigue. In it he lays out exactly how changes in government can take place. It's a brilliant piece and a reasonable blueprint on how we can take back control here.

But to do that, first we must win. To win we need a 'Hearts and Minds' campaign. Anyone who has spent any time in or even around Special Forces troopers is well aware of how unconventional warfare works. They are masters of guerrilla warfare and understand that warfare can take on many faces, including political. We are engaged in a Hearts and Minds campaign in Afghanistan even as I write this. If we can recognize the importance of such there why not here as well? Breaking windows damages us in that campaign.

We need to be out there, explaining, cajoling, opposing (and being seen opposing) and even screaming on occasion. We need to show Middle America who we are and why we're the right choice for the future of this country. We cannot do that if they refuse to listen to us. If our credibility is so damaged that we don't have the moral authority to even engage in the debate then we have failed and our children and grandchildren will suffer for it. We will have put our bricks into the lefts hands and they will use them to build our mausoleum.

We have the time but that time is right now. We don't need any distractions. We need to be focused, engaged and thinking all the time.

In my opinion, Mike Vanderboegh is an honest, Patriotic and committed man. He calls things as he sees them and I applaud him for that. I often disagree with his stance on various issues but I support him in his quest for liberty and equality for all. He's been called a lot of names and received a lot of threats from taking the stance he has. He's had his life threatened in some very ugly comments from the loony left. He deserves none of that. But on this matter I believe he's absolutely wrong.

Make no mistake. There is no more back up left in me or anyone I care to associate with. The socialists have reached the line beyond which there is no more room. I am hardly alone in this.

We have this one last shot at keeping our Republic. Let's make sure that shot is a good one.

Oh, and for the people posting Mike's phone number and address and soliciting harrassment? The rules of civility apply equally to both sides.

Six

25 March 2010

And More...

While you're at it go and visit OldNFO. Pearls of wisdom from another Warrior who understands.

Always remember kids; age and treachery beat young and strong every time. Well, at least often enough for us to keep them guessing.

Six

Going, Going...

Big Dick is on fire. This is just chilling but take a minute to read some of his other stuff.

Six

24 March 2010

Life Goes On

So. Life does indeed need to continue. Been working on my back fence. The neighbor let a tree and some nasty vines go nuts and it ruined 18 feet of my fence. Her response? "Pound sand".

So 300 bucks later, I have a new fence and my nasty neighbor has a pile of scrap to remove from her yard. Heh heh.

Lu and I went for a nice ride the other day. Nothing too strenuous. A nice double loop at one of our favorite places, old Ft. Ord. Only 17.4 miles but it was nice to get out and ride. I'm at 76 miles for the month. The last 2 days of fence mending hurt my monthly total but I should get my hundred in without too much trouble.

Getting ready for another trip to the Utah house. More crap to move and more work to do. Maybe another side trip to Gooseberry. I need to move about 300 pavers. Each weighs in at 21.5 pounds for a total something north of 3 tons, I'm thinking 2 trips. I have a nice little trailer rated at 7500 pounds so I could do it in theory but the thought of climbing the mountains at Tehachapi at 35 mph fails to excite me.

I'm staying away from the news for a while. At least until the initial bite of anger wears off. I'll be heading down to the local republican office as soon as I figure out where it is.

The house is ready for the Do and the grandkids visit next month. Spring has sprung (here at least). In the microcosm, life is good.

Six

23 March 2010

10 Things

Shamelessly stolen from Arthur's Hall of Viking Manliness.

10 things that warrant an ass kicking.

Make sure to read the comments. And hey, feel free to add to the list.

Six

Fast and Furious

"Let me explain... No, there is too much... Let me sum up."

Okay, I’m throwing this together quickly, and I’m not going into too much detail as I don’t want to bog down the main points.

What I want to talk about is:

Why this Health Care bill is unconstitutional.

And why the Senators that voted for this Health care abomination are traitors.
----
The Founding Fathers put tremendous thought into the constitution and were as careful as they could be with the checks and balances they created. Americans are beginning to remember that we aren’t a Democracy, by many still don’t know what we were created to be. We hear the word Republic and we think we know what it means, but do we?

The FF’s created the US to be a Mixed Federal Republic. Lets look at those three words, shall we?

--
-Mixed.

The Greeks believed there to be 3 pure systems of politics

1) Monarchy- rule by one

2) Aristocracy- rule by the few

3) Democracy- rule by many

The FF’s were terrified of democracy because it gave the mob the right to shift rights and property from those that have to those that have not, and will eventually lead, ironically, to a single rule dictatorship. The Aristocracy, on the other hand, tended to shift rights and property from the many to themselves. Monarchy, more often then not, also eventually decayed to a dictatorship. Each type of politics will eventually remove freedom, and create a tyrannical environment. So, then, what to do?

As each pure system looks to increase the power of those in charge the best course of action is to make all three a part of the game, and accountable to the other two. As each is power greedy they will keep the others from gaining too much control.

How was this done?

Monarchy- Presidency, elected by the electoral college (not the people)

Aristocracy- Senate, elected by the States (not the people)

Democracy- House of Representatives, elected by the people.

--
-And the Federal part of things?

A Federal System is one where power is divided between two main parties. In this case, a central authority with few and define rights, and constituent political units with numerous and undefined rights. Both the central authority and the constituents have certain right and are given means to retain those rights. The Constitution was written with the precise goals of outlying specific jobs and abilities of the Central Government. The States until, oh about 1865, always had the secession right and the right to veto a Federal law still lay in the hands of the State elected Senate. If we don’t like how the Feds are doing business then we have the right to either fix the Fed or leave the Union.

The civil war gave the Federal Government the big stick with which to bully the states: try to leave and we will kill you. Now it is no longer even a notion of an idea. Except in Texas.

The Federal Government now uses the idea of implied powers to circumvent the Constitution to the point that it might as well not exist. Understanding that they couldn’t foresee everything the congress may need to address the Founders added this little gem.

“[Congress shall have the power…] To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the Unite States, or in any Department of Officer thereof.”

In plainer English, the Congress has the right to make laws that help them do the stuff the Constitution says it can do.

The Congress has, of course, decided that this means they can do whatever they want to do as long as they believe that what they want is “necessary and proper for carrying into Execution” of their powers. However, this is sort of like the Pig deciding if we will have pork or beef for dinner. It is suppose to be used in the execution of powers they already have, and is not a means to give them the right to powers not outlined by the Constitution.

-They can create The United States Air Force as an extension of their rights to raise an Army and maintain a Navy that the Founders couldn’t have foreseen.

-It does not give them the ADDED right to create a mandatory Social Security program.

--
-Third, Republic.
1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them.

Sovereign
1. a monarch; a king, queen, or other supreme ruler.

Got that? The president isn't the sovereign, the people are. But the idea here is not Mob Rule; rather it’s the idea that all rights are inherent to an individual, that individual then trades part of his rights to the government. I have the right to defend my property, therefore I can give government the right to defend my property. In a Republic one can not give the government a right they don’t posses themselves. I don’t have the right to steal my neighbors property, so I cannot give the government the right to steal my neighbors property and give it to me.

----
What happened on Sunday was not only a demolition of the Constitution it was a slap in the face of every American. The Federal Government gave itself the right to pass a law forcing the Sovereign buy a particular product, whether they want it or not.

What do you call someone that knowingly breaks the law? A criminal.

What do you call someone that knowingly steals anothers money? A thief.

What about someone who violates their oaths to their government? Who betrays the trust of those they govern? Those that use treachery to achieve their own goals and ambitions?

Treason
1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign.
2. a violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state.
3. the betrayal of a trust of confidence; breach of faith; treachery.

Why, I do believe we call that treason and those guilty are traitors.

The DO

Stormbringer Sends

Sean has an inspirational post here.

Then read this by Big Dick. (Ignore the titties. Dick has a well known fetish. Something about breast feeding or something)

Go and read them and gird yourself for the coming conflict.

This fight is not for pussies. It's for true Warriors. We do not run, we do not cower, we do not kill the innocent. We identify the enemy and bring down righteous justice swift and sure.

Six

22 March 2010

Friendly Fire

The fight goes on and these are just the people I regularly visit.

Six

New msnbc poll here.

Drew at Ace of Spades has the message to republicans.

Ed weighs in.

The Emporer speaks.

Og is refusing to be silent.

Brigid and Barkley are on board.

I think Gunslinger may run.

Big Dick ain't dicking around.

Nicki pulls no punches.

Wisdom from Borepatch.

David Bellavia and Semperpapa opine.

The Pissed Off Tree Rat has his own take.

My brother Utah blogger TMJUTAH raises his voice.

Laura talks about preparedness.

Anna's voice will be heard.

The Rich Wasp has a thought.

Joan throws down a gauntlet of her own.

Billy Beck as only he can.

Tam shouts to the rooftops.

Lagniappe's Dad isn't taking this sitting down.

Daphne coyly hints at some possible problems.

21 March 2010

Faith

Shock.

I've been a soldier and a cop for 33 years. I was always the one who knew. Had all the answers. Preached patience, hard work, steadiness and perseverance. Was sought out for advice and opinion. Steady, certain, positive and loyal to my core.

I am a patriot of the first stripe. Always have been. My child followed my path in service to our country. Her husband still serves. My father-in-law has sacrificed his health and years of his life to the cause of freedom. We have laid the life a loved one on that altar. I have an uncle who was captured by the Nazis at the Battle of the Bulge. He came back weighing 100 pounds and never could speak of the horrors.

I am a father and a grandfather. I am a husband and a son. No one is perfect but I have done as well as I was capable. I must have done something right. My daughter is a constant source of fierce pride and she's raising my grandchildren to be intelligent, independent and resourceful Americans.

I have done all I was asked to do and more. Education, service, career, home, family. I pay my taxes, vote in every election, keep my cars registered (and insured) and pay my bills. I am, by any reasonable measuring stick, mainstream America.

I believed. Believed that Washington was populated by men and women of integrity at least. Even if we disagreed it was no more than a difference of degrees and that safeguarding The Republic was at the top of everyones list. I believed in a nation of laws. A place where individual liberties were inviolate.

How is it possible for my country to have alienated me? How is that the leaders of this country can have gone so far that this stalwart believer and defender has lost his faith?

Uncertainty.

I am uncertain about the future. For my grandchildren. For my very country.

Have I been wrong these many years? Is the Constitution no more than a piece of paper, a 'living document', changeable at the whim of the political class? Is it wrong for a free people to keep the fruits of their labors? Is it moral to allow your vote to be bought? Is that not negotiating for your own self aggrandizement and not for the good of the nation?

For the first time in my adult life I don't know what to do. Can this be brought back in a republican victory this November? Can the Tea Party movement prevail and bring back ethical government? Can and will the States fight the monstrosity that is the health care bill? If they do, can they win?

I don't know.

My opinion is that the bill is unconstitutional but what I think has no bearing on what happens. I think the Tea Party is a red eyed monster that will tear the democratic party to shreds but I may be wrong. Fox News is talking about 37 (or is it 38?) States on board with legal challenges but SCOTUS may not rule as I think they should.

Next up is immigration and cap and trade. A week ago I'd have said they're dead issues. Today I'm not so sure. I just saw a report about 1000 people calling for 'new paths' for citizenship. Not in DC but in Salt Lake City, Utah. Utah.

Implacable.

What I do know is this. I am as angry as I have ever been. I see everything that has happened over the last year as a direct assault on the future of my grandchildren. I see the coming attempts at liberty killing legislation as a challenge to my Americanism. I will not stand for it. I will watch the politicians and contribute my time and money to get those I deem worthy elected. I'll run myself if I must. I will exercise my Constitutionally protected freedoms at every turn. I will make my voice heard and I will force them to listen.

I am a Patriot of the first stripe. If I so choose I am the best friend you could ever have. Or the worst enemy. I am slow to forgive a mortal insult and I never forget.

Faith.

The democrats have succeeded in what should have been impossible. They have alienated a defender and true believer.

Yet I remain a Patriot, a Defender, a Soldier. But now I have turned my sights toward the enemy I am only now truly perceiving. I will devote all that I have "My life, my fortune and my sacred honor" to defeating the architects of this travesty and to restoring The Republic.

No. In spite of my trepidation I refuse to despair. The glove has been thrown and the challenge laid bare. Take heart my friends. This is a long way from being over. It won't be easy or even safe but mark my words, it will get done.

There is a saying I love that is attributed to The Texas Rangers.
"You can't stop a man who knows he's right and just keeps on coming."

Keep The Faith my Brothers and Sisters. This fight is righteous and in the end we will be victorious. Never doubt that, not even for a second.

I've said before that I am an unashamed Christian man. My Faith sustains me in the dark hours. I saw this passage as I was perusing another site just this morning. Coincidence?

" O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. How long shall the wicked, O LORD, How long shall the wicked exult? They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly; All who do wickedness vaunt themselves."
- Psalms 94:1-4

The Long Ride continues.

Six

Update

Stupak has caved. I think that with his sell out the bill will pass.

As I watched stupak's press conference I was again struck with how divorced from the rest of America these politicians are. They're not negotiating anything on behalf of their constituents. they're negotiating only for themselves. What they want as opposed to what's best for the country.

Lord, hear my prayer. Please soften their hearts and give them the knowledge that this path leads to destruction, not salvation.

I'll be watching the news all day.

Six

1543 hrs. Juan Williams is a tool.

1620 hrs. I am reminded of nothing so much as a slow motion train wreck.

1553 hrs. I can't watch it any more. Back later.

2030 hrs. It's passed. May our grandchildren forgive us.

20 March 2010

Sunday Kipling

What with the fight brewing in DC I thought I'd post this a little early. I think it's appropriate.
Warning: It's long.
Dedicated to fellow Kipling aficionados cond0010 and Og.

Six

The City of Brass
1909
“Here was a people whom after their works thou shalt see wept over for their lost dominion: and in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in the dust.”
–The Arabian Nights.

In a land that the sand overlays – the ways to her gates are untrod –
A multitude ended their days whose gates were made splendid by God,
Till they grew drunk and were smitten with madness and went to their fall,
And of these is a story written: but Allah Alone knoweth all!

When the wine stirred in their heart their bosoms dilated.
They rose to suppose themselves kings over all things created –
To decree a new earth at a birth without labour or sorrow –
To declare: “We prepare it to-day and inherit to-morrow.”
They chose themselves prophets and priests of minute understanding,
Men swift to see done, and outrun, their extremest commanding –
Of the tribe which describe with a jibe the perversions of Justice –
Panders avowed to the crowd whatsoever its lust is.

Swiftly these pulled down the walls that their fathers had made them –
The impregnable ramparts of old, they razed and relaid them
As playgrounds of pleasure and leisure, with limitless entries,
And havens of rest for the wastrels where once walked the sentries;
And because there was need of more pay for the shouters and marchers,
They disbanded in face of their foemen their yeomen and archers.
They replied to their well-wishers’ fears – to their enemies laughter,
Saying: “Peace! We have fashioned a God Which shall save us hereafter.
We ascribe all dominion to man in his factions conferring,
And have given to numbers the Name of the Wisdom unerring.”

They said: “Who has hate in his soul? Who has envied his neighbour?
Let him arise and control both that man and his labour.”
They said: “Who is eaten by sloth? Whose unthrift has destroyed him?
He shall levy a tribute from all because none have employed him.”
They said: “Who hath toiled, who hath striven, and gathered possession?
Let him be spoiled. He hath given full proof of transgression.”
They said: “Who is irked by the Law? Though we may not remove it.
If he lend us his aid in this raid, we will set him above it!
So the robber did judgment again upon such as displeased him,
The slayer, too, boasted his slain, and the judges released him.

As for their kinsmen far off, on the skirts of the nation,
They harried all earth to make sure none escaped reprobation.
They awakened unrest for a jest in their newly-won borders,
And jeered at the blood of their brethren betrayed by their orders.
They instructed the ruled to rebel, their rulers to aid them;
And, since such as obeyed them not fell, their Viceroys obeyed them.
When the riotous set them at naught they said: “Praise the upheaval!
For the show and the world and the thought of Dominion is evil!”
They unwound and flung from them with rage, as a rag that defied them,
The imperial gains of the age which their forefathers piled them.
They ran panting in haste to lay waste and embitter for ever
The wellsprings of Wisdom and Strengths which are Faith and Endeavour.
They nosed out and digged up and dragged forth and exposed to derision
All doctrine of purpose and worth and restraint and prevision:

And it ceased, and God granted them all things for which they had striven,
And the heart of a beast in the place of a man’s heart was given. . . .
. . . . . . . .
When they were fullest of wine and most flagrant in error,
Out of the sea rose a sign – out of Heaven a terror.
Then they saw, then they heard, then they knew – for none troubled to hide it,
A host had prepared their destruction, but still they denied it.
They denied what they dared not abide if it came to the trail;
But the Sward that was forged while they lied did not heed their denial.
It drove home, and no time was allowed to the crowd that was driven.
The preposterous-minded were cowed – they thought time would be given.
There was no need of a steed nor a lance to pursue them;
It was decreed their own deed, and not a chance, should undo them.
The tares they had laughingly sown were ripe to the reaping.
The trust they had leagued to disown was removed from their keeping.
The eaters of other men’s bread, the exempted from hardship,
The excusers of impotence fled, abdicating their wardship,
For the hate they had taught through the State brought the State no defender,
And it passed from the roll of the Nations in headlong surrender

19 March 2010

Who Is Who?

I love this picture. It's the perfect symbol for the struggle against overwhelming odds and the never give up attitude. It's also a warning.

A member of the currently serving liberal political class and their enablers might look at this picture and see it as a warning to The American People of the futility of resistance against the State.

I see the opposite.

The Sumo isn't a sloppy, fat slob. He isn't a layabout loser who chose this calling because he can't control his mouth and what goes in it. He isn't weak willed. He doesn't lack self discipline.

The Sumo is a highly trained and skillful athlete who is a master at his chosen craft. Battle against other giant men. The Sumo is strong, agile (relative to size) and trained in a variety of offensive and defensive skill sets. He is strong willed, resourceful and remarkably flexible. He is aggressive, dominant and has the heart of a Warrior. He trains hard, fights hard and follows the rules. Life as a rikishi is highly regimented. He seeks perfection within his own discipline.

The Sumo is a massive human wrecking machine who confines his mayhem to the Dohyo. Usually.

I look at this picture and I see a warning to the current occupants of the House, Senate and White House. It is we, The American People, who are the Sumo and you who are the small boy attempting to move the mountain. It is we who are the Masters. That is something you had better recognize because if you are one of those who cause this abomination of a health care bill to pass, or if you fail to do everything in your power to stop it, then you will feel the power of the American Electorate come November and every November until liberalism and abetting politics is gone and forgotten forever.

Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is portrayed at the very end of the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!, and in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor, as saying after his attack on Pearl Harbor, "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." It is almost certain that the good admiral never actually uttered those immortal words (though there is some evidence that he wrote them or something similar in a 1943 letter from Yamamoto to the Admiralty in Tokyo) but that doesn't matter. The words themselves are out there, in the American conscious and are remembered. I invite you to read them and heed the warning again.

All your manipulations, machinations, lies and end runs will avail you naught. We see through them as we see through you. We are a free and increasingly united people. United in the idea that we will not surrender our liberties to anyone.

Look at that picture again and know in your heart Who is Who. We are awake and yes, we are filled with a Terrible Resolve.

Six

18 March 2010

Finally?

I think I may have our template issues resolved, at least I hope so. I'm now hosting all the images myself, and I just manipulated a blogger template so I'm pretty sure it'll be around for a while.

So, what are we looking at here? Well, that up there is the heart of the family, our family. In it are some of the reasons that this blog exsists. There is the Gold Star Mother statue for Grandma, the 7th infantry Light Fighter patch for Dad; there is the fallen soldier tribute for Uncle Ken, The Wall for Gramps; the tomb of the unknown soldier for our lost brothers and sisters, a folded flag being handed to a widow. These images are but a sampling of what shaped us, our family, our patriotism, but I think it begins to tell the story.

Our love of country, of family, of home and hearth run deep for us, as it does for most of the American heartland. I refuse to believe Hollywood and the left when they try to tell us that America is full of heartless selfish people bent on their own desires. I know that we stand shoulder to shoulder, and heart to heart.

We use this space to advance that aspect of our nation, and to run counter to those that would steal our hearts from us, and turn us against one another. That banner begins to tell our story, illustrate our losses, and sets a guide for our growth.

We are not alone. And we will not give up the fight.

The DO

17 March 2010

Ur Doing It Wrong

This is the man who is supposed to be sooo much smarter than Bush. The same man who needs a teleprompter to speak to grade school kids and thinks there are 56 states.

http://tiny.cc/3000992

That's right kids. If you buy into the health scare plan you too may get a raise.

3000 percent. If I recall my grade school math, 100 percent of anything is, well, all of it. Think there may be a bit of fudging the numbers going on here?

Maybe he just thinks we're really that stupid.

Six

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Yes, the DO and I do have irish blood singing in our veins. I think The Sarge may as well. At least he's got the Blarney.

To our men and women serving overseas and in combat zones throughout the world I dedicate this poem.
May God bless you.
And remember,
We're always beside you.
Six

Irish Blessings

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Now sweetly lies old Ireland
Emerald green beyond the foam,
Awakening sweet memories,
Calling the heart back home.

Ireland, it's the one place on earth
That heaven has kissed
With melody, mirth,
And meadow and mist.

Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

May your heart be warm and happy
With the lilt of Irish laughter
Every day in every way
And forever and ever after.

May the luck of the Irish possess you.
May the devil fly off with your worries.
May God bless you forever and ever.

Bless your little Irish heart-and every other Irish part.
Ireland is where strange tales begin
and happy endings are possible.

An Irish method for tackling problems;
There comes a time when you must take the bull
By the tail and face the situation squarely.

Here's to good Irish friends
Never above you
Never below you
May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

Now sweetly lies old Ireland
Emerald green beyond the foam,
Awakening sweet memories,
Calling the heart back home.

Ireland, it's the one place on earth
That heaven has kissed
With melody, mirth,
And meadow and mist.

Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

May your heart be warm and happy
With the lilt of Irish laughter
Every day in every way
And forever and ever after.

May the luck of the Irish possess you.
May the devil fly off with your worries.
May God bless you forever and ever.

Bless your little Irish heart-and every other Irish part.
Ireland is where strange tales begin
and happy endings are possible.

An Irish method for tackling problems;
There comes a time when you must take the bull
By the tail and face the situation squarely.

Here's to good Irish friends
Never above you
Never below you
Always beside you.

Always beside you.

16 March 2010

Dishonor

I can't bring myself to type this asshole's name here so I'll just call him poser. Poser tried to pass himself off as a Marine LTC with a chest full of medals. he was caught by a classmate who was actually in the Navy. Poser was sentenced today to a year of probation and ordered to undergo mental health counseling. Oh, and a $250.00 fine.

Not enough. Not nearly enough.

He had been facing up to a year in prison and a fine of $100,000 under the federal Stolen Valor Act. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Akrotirianakis, who prosecuted the case, said the government did not seek jail time because there was no evidence that Burton enriched himself by posing as a military hero.

So what? He tried to pass himself off as an actual war hero. He's a slimy, disgusting little piece of wanna be shit unfit to be in the same room as any of the men and women who have worn our nations uniform with pride and honor. That goes for Assistant U.S. Attorney Akrotirianakis too. Fuck both of them.

"Disgusting," Mary Schantag of the POW Network told AOL News after learning of the sentence. "Not near enough punishment. That just gives all the rest reason to continue."Schantag said there are thousands of phony military heroes around the country who have never been prosecuted. Often, she said, their claims of valor are part of a larger fraud that includes stealing money and preying on vulnerable women.

Exactly right. Every time one of these ass pimples gets away with a slap on the wrist it's a dishonor to the real heroes and to America.

Here's the link. http://tiny.cc/scum216

I'm a man who generally believes in live and let live. That ends when you harm someone else or bring dishonor to America's Warriors.

Poser, you had best stay the fuck away from me.

Six

15 March 2010

New Predator Movie

I admit I'm a fan of the Predator movies. Apparently there's a new one coming down the pike.



I don't know when it's coming out but I will see it in the theater. And I hate going to the theater.

Six

Help Out A Brother

Lagniappes Dad has a post up here http://tiny.cc/Help658 . He's done the due diligence and confirmed this isn't a scam.

It's about Officer Densey Cole. Please take a minute to go read the post and help out if you can. Mary and Densey were married in the hospital after he was severely injured and some kind of a real wedding would be a dream come true for this couple and a blessing for a Warrior who has given so much. All it'll cost is a few minutes of your time to visit Crate and Barrel and a vote for them. I've been and cast my vote.

Thank you Lagniappes Dad for letting us know about this and thanks to everyone who helps them out.

Six

14 March 2010

Sunday Kipling

A note. The DO continues to work on the layout. The Warrior Roll has disappeared but it will return, I promise.

{UPATE: From the DO. Alright, apparently I managed to delete the blogroll widget. Once deleted it's gone from the face of the Earth for all time. I've done my best to recreate it but PLEASE let me know if I've missed someone. This isn't one of those times to be bashful! Let me know and I'll put you back on. Or let me know if you see someone I've missed and I'll add 'em. Sorry all for the confusion everyone!!}

To honor all the Women Warriors out there, both those I've talked about and those I've yet to get to I give you


The Female of the Species
1911

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he-bear in his pride,
He shouts to scare the monster, who will often turn aside.
But the she-bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When Nag the basking cobra hears the careless foot of man,
He will sometimes wriggle sideways and avoid it if he can.
But his mate makes no such motion where she camps beside the trail.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

When the early Jesuit fathers preached to Hurons and Choctaws,
They prayed to be delivered from the vengeance of the squaws.
'Twas the women, not the warriors, turned those stark enthusiasts pale.
For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Man's timid heart is bursting with the things he must not say,
For the Woman that God gave him isn't his to give away;
But when hunter meets with husband, each confirms the other's tale --
The female of the species is more deadly than the male.

Man, a bear in most relations-worm and savage otherwise, --
Man propounds negotiations, Man accepts the compromise.
Very rarely will he squarely push the logic of a fact
To its ultimate conclusion in unmitigated act.

Fear, or foolishness, impels him, ere he lay the wicked low,
To concede some form of trial even to his fiercest foe.
Mirth obscene diverts his anger --- Doubt and Pity oft perplex
Him in dealing with an issue -- to the scandal of The Sex!

But the Woman that God gave him, every fibre of her frame
Proves her launched for one sole issue, armed and engined for the same;
And to serve that single issue, lest the generations fail,
The female of the species must be deadlier than the male.

She who faces Death by torture for each life beneath her breast
May not deal in doubt or pity -- must not swerve for fact or jest.
These be purely male diversions -- not in these her honour dwells.
She the Other Law we live by, is that Law and nothing else.

She can bring no more to living than the powers that make her great
As the Mother of the Infant and the Mistress of the Mate.
And when Babe and Man are lacking and she strides unclaimed to claim
Her right as femme (and baron), her equipment is the same.

She is wedded to convictions -- in default of grosser ties;
Her contentions are her children, Heaven help him who denies! --
He will meet no suave discussion, but the instant, white-hot, wild,
Wakened female of the species warring as for spouse and child.

Unprovoked and awful charges -- even so the she-bear fights,
Speech that drips, corrodes, and poisons -- even so the cobra bites,
Scientific vivisection of one nerve till it is raw
And the victim writhes in anguish -- like the Jesuit with the squaw!

So it cames that Man, the coward, when he gathers to confer
With his fellow-braves in council, dare not leave a place for her
Where, at war with Life and Conscience, he uplifts his erring hands
To some God of Abstract Justice -- which no woman understands.

And Man knows it! Knows, moreover, that the Woman that God gave him
Must command but may not govern -- shall enthral but not enslave him.
And She knows, because She warns him, and Her instincts never fail,
That the Female of Her Species is more deadly than the Male.

Six

13 March 2010

Honor

The Sniper http://www.thesniper.us/ is known for his wildly funny demotivators but when he puts his talents to expressing how we feel about the men and womenserving in out Armed Forces he is unparalleled.


Exactly correct.

Six

12 March 2010

More On The Prius

Ed has a great post on the Prius run away vehicle. http://tiny.cc/Ed227

Normally I live by the adage not to attribute to malice what is most likely stupidity but this stinks and the odor is becoming more piquant by the hour. Still don't think obama's take over of gm is a bad thing?

Six

Update 3-13-2010;

http://tiny.cc/prisu

Templates...

I'm having issues with the template. I'm working on a fix now, this one is sorta temporary till I get issues resolved. It sucks and things are missing, moved and generally chaotic. Please bear with me!

UPDATE:
Our old template decided to up and die, so I had to go a huntin'. I wanted something that spoke to the content, was cool, and wasn't too cliche. This is what I liked, let me know what ya'll think! And ya'll go on and have a right nice day, ya hear!

The DO

11 March 2010

More Gun Porn

Meet the newest addition to the Six household. it's a Springfield 03A3 and it's all Lagniappe's Dads fault. I was perusing his archives when I came across a post of his on these fine rifles. I was reminded that my own collection of military firearms was woefully inadequate. I checked with a buddy and lo and behold, he just happened to have this nice example for sale. I already had a nice stock of 30-06 for my Garand and I hadn't yet bought myself a retirement present so....


That's Chrisi with the rifle. If it isn't obvious, she's a little miffed. That is so obviously not a shotgun and not a shotgun means no hunting trip. The girl is 13, mostly crippled and her hunting days are far behind her but if I loaded her up in the truck with one of the 12's she'd go nuts and hunt til she collapsed. It'd take 5 minutes or so but they'd be 5 minutes of pure bliss. She has drive! Pfft. Rifles? Who needs a rifle anyway?

Six

A New Site

Got another one for ya. Ed and Lagniappe's Dad and Brigid and some others have already discovered her but Laura, aka Troopers Gal, is new to me. Go visit her at http://troopersgal.blogspot.com/

I like her and not just because she reminds me so much of Lu. It's because she's smart, opinionated and so obviously devoted to her trooper Husband.

Welcome Laura.

Six

10 March 2010

Happy Birthday Chuck Norris

In celebration of the 70th birthday of the King of the Roundhouse Kick here are 70 Chuck Norris awesome truths. Don't doubt them or the man or he might come looking for you.
Six

1. Since 1940, the year Chuck Norris was born, roundhouse-kick-related deaths have increased 13,000 percent.
2. On his birthday, Chuck Norris randomly selects one lucky child to be thrown into the sun.
3. Chuck Norris mistakenly sent Jesus a birthday card on Dec. 25. Jesus was too scared to correct Chuck Norris and to this day Dec. 25 is known as Jesus's birthday.
4. Chuck Norris was born three months premature, because he had asses to kick.
5. Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris instead decided to punch his way out of his mother's womb.
6. And on the first day Chuck Norris was created ... and he took care of everything else later that afternoon.
7. Chuck Norris once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are known today as giraffes.
8. Chuck Norris can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.
9. Chuck Norris drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls.
10. Chuck Norris can touch MC Hammer.
11. James Cameron wanted Chuck Norris to play the Terminator. However, upon reflection, he realized that would have turned his movie into a documentary, so he went with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
12. Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because Chuck Norris only recognizes the element of surprise.
13. Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
14. Chuck Norris once ate a whole cake before his friends could tell him there was a stripper in it.
15. The role of Alf in the hit 80s TV show was played by Chuck Norris's penis.
16. Chuck Norris sleeps with a pillow under his gun.
17. Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
18. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, Chuck Norris can actually roundhouse kick you yesterday.
19. Chuck Norris can divide by zero.
20. Chuck Norris doesn't wear a watch. HE decides what time it is.
21. Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.
22. They once made a Chuck Norris toilet paper, but there was a problem: It wouldn't take shit from anybody.
23. Police label anyone attacking Chuck Norris as a Code 45-11.... a suicide.
24. The original title for Alien vs. Predator was Alien and Predator vs Chuck Norris.
25. Chuck Norris ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.
26. There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.
27. If you spell Chuck Norris in Scrabble, you win. Forever.
28. Chuck Norris has the greatest Poker-Face of all time. He won the 1983 World Series of Poker, despite holding only a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game UNO.
29. Chuck Norris got a blow up doll pregnant.
30. Google won't search for Chuck Norris because it knows you don't find Chuck Norris, he finds you.
31. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist.
32. In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Chuck Norris could use to kill you, including the room itself.
33. It takes Chuck Norris 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.
34. Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.
35. Chuck Norris uses a night light. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.
36. Aliens DO indeed exist. They just know better than to visit a planet that Chuck Norris is on. 37. When you say "no one's perfect", Chuck Norris takes this as a personal insult.
38. Chuck Norris once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger, by yelling, "Bang!"
39. Chuck Norris never wet his bed as a child. The bed wet itself out of fear.
40. If at first you don't succeed, you're not Chuck Norris.
41. Chuck Norris CAN believe it's not butter.
42. We live in an expanding universe. All of it is trying to get away from Chuck Norris.
43. Chuck Norris invented black. In fact he invented the entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.
44. Chuck Norris played Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun and won.
45. Chuck Norris' first job was as a paperboy. There were no survivors.
46. When Chuck Norris does a push-up, he isn't lifting himself up -- he's pushing the Earth down.
47. A Handicapped parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Chuck Norris and that you will be handicapped if you park there.
48. Chuck Norris is the only man to ever defeat a brick wall in a game of tennis.
49. The phrase 'dead ringer' refers to someone who sits behind Chuck Norris in a movie theater and forgets to turn their cell phone off.
50. What was going through the minds of all of Chuck Norris' victims before they died? His shoe. 51. Contrary to popular belief, the Titanic didn't hit an iceberg. The ship was off course and accidentally ran into Chuck Norris while he was doing the backstroke across the Atlantic.
52. For some, the left testicle is larger than the right one. For Chuck Norris, each testicle is larger than the other one.
53. Godzilla is a Japanese rendition of Chuck Norris' first visit to Tokyo.
54. When Bruce Banner gets mad, he turns into the Hulk. When the Hulk gets mad, he turns into Chuck Norris.
55. Human cloning is outlawed because if Chuck Norris were cloned, then it would be possible for a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick to meet another chuck Norris roundhouse kick. Physicists theorize that this contact would end the universe.
56. There are no such things as tornadoes. Chuck Norris just hates trailer parks.
57. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.
58. Chuck Norris and Mr. T walked into a bar. The bar was instantly destroyed, as that level of awesome cannot be contained in one building.
59. Chuck Norris does not follow fashion trends, they follow him. But then he turns around and kicks their ass. Nobody follows Chuck Norris.
60. The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Chuck Norris out. It failed miserably.
61. When Chuck Norris says "More cowbell," he MEANS it.
62. Chuck Norris once sued Burger King after they refused to put razor wire in his Whopper Jr., insisting that that actually is "his" way.
63. Every time someone uses the word "intense", Chuck Norris always replies "you know what else is intense?" followed by a roundhouse kick to the face.
64. If, by some incredible space-time paradox, Chuck Norris would ever fight himself, he'd win. Period.
65. Chuck Norris invented a language that incorporates karate and roundhouse kicks. So next time Chuck Norris is kicking your ass, don't be offended or hurt, he may be just trying to tell you he likes your hat.
66. When an episode of Walker Texas Ranger was aired in France, the French surrendered to Chuck Norris just to be on the safe side.
67. Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head.
68. In a fight between Batman and Darth Vader, the winner would be Chuck Norris.
69. The square root of Chuck Norris is pain.
70. Chuck Norris once participated in the running of the bulls. He walked.

Influences

Can a parent influence a child? Or in the days of Chairman O and Al Gore is it only the certain few that are privileged enough to influence my children?

According to Ally boy there the "older folk" don't get it... Wait, he's on the verge of turning 62 (31 March 1948), that makes him 11 years older then my Dad. Which, you know, I didn't even think was possible!

"There are some things out there that you know that older people don't know." ~Ally boy Gore (see link above). Erm... Since I'm literally half his age (31) then I'm obviously much more knowledgeable about life and things then he. Huh.

So, the question is, can I influence my kids? Or is that just a pipe dream and I should resign myself to a life where the progressives teach my kids for me till my kids can begin teaching me. At 12, apparently. Well, I will look to my own life and see how much we can glean from my experiences to show pattern and n=1 and all that shtuff...

Ahem.

Released in 1976 (3 years before I was born) my favorite song was released to the world.

Boston, More Than A Feeling



Alright, fine I love a song made before I was born, lots of people love the Beatles, what's my point?

The point isn't that I love this 'cause Dad loves it, but that he exposed me to this music and I decided that I love it. It instantly takes me back to balmy summer days, the windows of the truck rolled down, Dad and I on a drive to the mall or someplace else random. It also makes me think of the garage, on same summer days, tools in hand helping to change the oil on said truck.

Rush Limbaugh does the same, 'cause I'm a Rush baby. I grew up hearing Rush talk, taking in his message, often a message countering the things I heard at school. As I'm sure you've gathered, I'm not a Liberal even though I gained my education in the vaulted state of California. I actually understand the concept of fiscal responsibility!

But it is also damned good music that I now seek out on my own.


I'll be honest that I'm mostly talking about Dad here, cause, well, it's his blog and it lets me put up better music then if I talk about Mom. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Kansas, but that's a rockin' as it gets!



My point is that while the left can try to wrest control of our children away from us if we are active in our children's life they can't win. I already tell my children to do their homework and make an educated decision. No one can tell them what to believe, we can only show them paths and give them experiences. Dad never told me I had to believe Rush, and I certainly had the counter views at school. I got to listen and make my own choices. Now here I am, listening to Boston, reading Glenn Beck, working on my History degree, and explaining why I believe our nations tipping point came not with Teddy or Franklin Roosevelt but with Abraham Lincoln. And, yes, I can explain why I think ol' Abe ruined the country, if you really want to know.

The greatest lesson my folks provided was the lesson of learning, of thinking, of deciding for one's self. There are many places where Mom, Dad and I don't agree, but that's what makes it fun. 'Cause we can actually talk about it with respect and the knowledge that both sides come from a place of learning, not of self righteous derision.

And that is the greatest gift they gave me, and the greatest gift I can pass to my children.

Alright then, we proved an n=1 relationship with Boston and conservative values. Go, spread the word!

The DO

09 March 2010

Wherein I Develop Plumbers Butt

A couple of years ago Lu and I bought her grandparents home in Hurricane, Utah. It's a modest home, built in sections by her grandfather. The original house and the first addition were masonry construction so, yeah, I have some masonry interior walls. It's going to need some wiring (lots of 2 prong outlets), plumbing (copper attached to iron with no anodes) and flooring (carpeting in the kitchen?!). First was the water heater.

Last time we visited the house was in February. While there I noticed that both the cold water inlet and the hot water outlet pipes were leaking. Not bad but enough. The water had gotten inside the electric water heater and corroded the hookups. Enough to trip the breaker. Yikes. We turned off the water and power and headed back to California so we could decide what to do.

I did some research on tankless and decided against it for now. The electric one needs 3 separate 20 amp 240 volt feeds and a 200 amp box. That means a total re-wire of the old house and I'm not quite ready to do that at the moment. So, new regular water heater.

I went out last Wednesday, armed with tools and an inadequate plumbing skill set. Luckily I have a good friend (Hey Tom) who knows everything. He clued me in and stated his confidence in my ability to do this rather simple talk. Disaster will surely follow such a pronouncement.

For those of you who are home remodel savvy, you no doubt already know about Gator Clamps (also known as Shark Clamps. At least in Utah). These little plumbing wonders are the greatest thing since the invention of sex. They allow even the dimmest bulb to do basic copper pipe plumbing without sweating in the joints. Sweating in is a vast misnomer for attaching copper pipes to various elbows, devices and attachments through the use of solder, the heat from a portable blast furnace and something called "Flux". "Flux" is apparently a magic substance that causes solder to decide to flow into a copper joint when used by a plumbing expert and third degree burns to the digits of amateurs when used by same. They are a wonder and if I ever meet the inventor I will kiss him full on the mouth in public (any chance the inventor was female???). Leakless joints with a simple push. I LOVE them.

Through the use of this fabulous device I was able to install a new 50 gallon water heater in the space where tho old one was. The exact center of my house. Just inside the door from the living room to the bedrooms. In the middle of everything. Yeah, I need to move it. Later. I also installed new clothes washer hoses. Baby, I'm a now a plumber! Got the butt crack to prove it.

Since I got done early I called my best friend (the selfsame Tom of the awesome plumbing skills) and invited him and his dog Mugsy down for some riding. Southern Utah has some of the most awesome MTB trails in the country and most of them are mere minutes from my front door. Go ahead. Be jealous.

I decided it was time to tackle the Gooseberry Mesa. We loaded up and headed out. The trail head is at the end of several miles of very bad dirt road. The area has had some bad rains so those roads were also muddy with water filled potholes approximately the size of Lake Michigan. Still, I am the illegitimate son of Parnelli Jones so we had no difficulties getting there, screams from the passenger seat notwithstanding (Tom, you're such a wuss. We were no where near that cliff. Missed it by at least 6 inches. Big sissy).

This is Tom and his "dog" Mugsy. Mugsy is a 9 month old, 100 pound Bull Mastiff. He's also the biggest goofball dog on the planet. If he's actually a dog and not the unholy offspring of an real dog and water buffalo. That dog is big. His head is the size of a basketball. Did I mention he's 9 months old? Tom figures he's got another 40 to 50 pounds to still put on. Sheesh. BTW, yes, those are Tom's bike riding clothes. No spandex. No cleated shoes. No cool mesh riding shirt and high tech water hydration system. Jeans and a t-shirt. It was cold so he wore his long sleeve with the front left unbuttoned in that hip, Jack Nicholson if he was a dork kinda way. All the other bike guys saw him and I was like totally embarrassed. Love ya Tom.


This is me and Mugsy. You will please note that I am properly attired for a day on the trails. Cool riding jacket, neat riding trousers (not pants mind you, trousers) with chamois padded spandex underneath and cleated MTB riding shoes. Fabulous. Note the Gooseberry Mesa sign for those of you who suspect that I may be making the whole thing up. Also please note Mugsy's head and chest. I'm 6 foot and about 17 1/2 stones (Hah!) for reference.


Tom wussed out part way through the ride. Something about not having ridden for a year and neck surgery and a bad back, Blah, blah, blah. Typical. I suspect he's probably a closet hiker. Still, a good time was had by all. Tom swears he's going to start riding again and kick my ass next time. Heh heh.

I'm heading back at the end of the month. I'm installing some new flooring in the kitchen, water heater room and the man cave (aka the basement. More on that later). Did I mention I'm retired? And bored?

Hey Tom. Up for Gooseberry again? We'll get you some spandex.

And a little scarf for Mugsy.

Six

08 March 2010

Back

Got back today noonish. Tired. Sleepy. Need rest. I'll post about my amazing adventures involving copper pipe, a 50 gallon water heater and a Gary Fisher MTB tomorrrow.

Plus Gooseberries. Yummy!

Six

03 March 2010

The Kitchen Dispatch

Kanani over at Kitchen Dispatch is asking for some help for a group she supports. Please go visit and do what you can. I've contributed.

http://kitchendispatch.blogspot.com/2010/03/help-build-wifi-in-afghanistan.html?showComment=1267636380694_AIe9_BHA61tAzjV6t62WdcjWPSQDiMNqgKPtDWSl4IYs9Ao88VuRIHHdVaLIwCK2VzV72Xd0k8WHVj2CFAvOL4y7VGs-9zCfYNrSlXJaSveVJypxt6V91PA1B6W87N0h7uxcPlrrU2W8QQMu2qgkA7fk2L0oRA-Ahm2SQEav2UcGc6rSLwzW1GTop3ijtex_y94hTdEQTCaupWGKvBEvjmbIcUuxBQXApp1eNKRtujXAJiaPQM4UQW5xoXsddkhoZokt4tItk0eB#c2167801499038107276

Six

Also. I'm heading back to the homestead in Utah for some plumbing and other assorted re-model joys. Lu says she'll keep the site updated for me and I'll post again as soon as I get back.

02 March 2010

Optimism

CNN has a new poll out that says;

Fifty-six percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Friday say they think the federal government's become so large and powerful that it poses an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens.

My first thought was; Holy Crap. This is a poll by an arm of the msm, virtually a state organ. How bad would a poll by an independent pollster be?

My second thought was; where is the tipping point? Where do we have to get to before the politicians sit up and take notice? Is there such a point at all? The dems certainly aren't acting like there is and the entrenched repubs are acting like someone pissed on their cornflakes (with some notable exceptions).

The more I thought about it the more astounded I became. 56 percent. That's an incredible and ultimately frightening number. That means that more than half of America looks on the government as an agent of oppression.

Those are Revolution numbers.

I read a lot, including a number of bloggers, both those I like and those I don't particularly care for. I have been doing so for a long time. I've been politically involved for most of my adult life. I've been watching and paying attention to the anger and feelings of disquiet and fear. I'm seeing everyday Americans talking openly about revolutionary ideas and plans for a coming collapse.

As a retired police officer I'm naturally skeptical of such talk. I've arrested a lot of felons over the years who said "They'll never take me alive". Ultimately none was serious. The consequences carried a cost higher than they were unwilling to pay. The risk/reward decision cycle was as obvious as it was inescapable.

I think our political class has made the same assumption about us, The American People. That ultimately the risks of open revolt carry a price we're unwilling to pay. I now think they're wrong.

Anyone who's read my rantings here knows that I have nothing but contempt for the left. I've stated more than once (as have the Sarge and the DO) that those on the left side of the aisle don't want a free America. They want a docile America. But, up until recently, I have harbored the belief that they at least knew their constituency and would ultimately act in their own best interest when their future employment was at risk.

I no longer believe that. Bore patch has a brilliant piece here;
http://borepatch.blogspot.com/2010/02/long-tail-of-internet-and-election-of.html
Pay particular attention to the part about the Gatekeepers.

Ed talks about Congress' numbers here;
http://thundertales.blogspot.com/2010/02/only-numbers.html

I'm a bit of a pessimist at heart. If something can go wrong it probably will. But I also have an optimist buried within me as well. I tend to look toward a brighter future and a belief that all problems are conquerable. I desperately want to believe that any revolution will be political. That the Tea party will bring the repubs back to their conservative roots. Borepatch's post seems to make that point and Ed has counseled me on maintaining my Republican registration and working within the system to find and promote true conservatives.

The optimist in me takes heart in such and sees a workable road plan for a better future for my grandchildren. The pessimist side of my personality (and admittedly the greater portion) sees the crumbling of American belief in The System and the potential for the dissolution of the fabric of society. Which is true? Is either?

More Americans describe themselves as conservative than liberal (by a wide margin). The Supreme Court is making some pretty good decisions. democrats are declining to run for re-election in growing numbers. Gun and ammo purchases, if not at an all time high must be pretty darn close. People are active and the Tea Parties are growing and gaining momentum. Bloggers are being heard and information that is being suppressed by the msm is widely available. People are reading and, more importantly, understanding.

Health care should have passed last August. Cap and Trade should now be law. Global Warming should be universally accepted and beyond reproach. Conservatism should be dead and buried. A liberal should have just been sworn in as the new senator from Massachusetts.

And yet, none of those things came to pass.

I ask myself. Why?

It is because there is a wellspring of goodness and virtue and love and stubbornness and good old fashioned Americanism in this country that cannot and will not die. pelosi cannot kill it, reid cannot kill it and damn sure obama cannot kill it. We have witnessed an unbridled and unrestrained war on the American people by a government hell bent on riding us down to the bowels of socialism with a smile on their faces and murder in their hearts.

Yet, here we remain. Unbowed, unrepentant, unconquered and ultimately unconquerable. Americans are without peer in the history of the world. We have done more with the blessings of Liberty than anyone else. Ever. We have taken the freedoms granted by God and enshrined on that Declaration and created the greatest country on Earth. We are hard working, generous to a fault and unafraid of challenges. In fact, Americans are never better that when faced with seemingly overwhelming odds.

The Revolutionary War. 1812. The Civil War. Civil Rights. Vietnam and the 60's. Jimmy Carter. The welfare state. The great depression. Every recession (what is it 12?). 911. Iraq. Afghanistan. The list is virtually endless.

Kick us and we will defend ourselves. Take away what we have and we will rebuild. Oppress us and we will pointedly remind you that we are a Free People and a Free People will always find a way to remain so. No matter the cost.

Tea parties and Town Halls and marches on D.C. People across the nation, of every stripe and hue, coming together with a common goal. Preservation of the American Way of Life.

This day I declare than I am an optimist, certain of a brighter future for my grandchildren. Maybe you believe that such a statement proves me to be delusional. I am missing the bigger picture. Monetary collapse. The erosion of our civil liberties. Spending and debt beyond the ken of even Keynes. The war on the second Amendment. Political Correctness.

Delusional? Maybe but I refuse to let the pessimist in me decide. In the final tally, where heart and courage are measured, I believe we will overcome. I have my money on us and I think we're a sure thing.

Do we have a way to go? Damn yippee skip we do. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, hard work and sacrifice. But we have taken the measure of the enemy and we know what must be done. I believe we will.

Don't think so? Attend a Tea Party and ask them if they've quit. Ask them if they're going to roll over and take it in the butt. Ask them if they're ready to give up their freedoms. Go to my Warrior Roll and tell them they're dinosaurs and losers and don't know what they're talking about and find out just how fast they'll hand you your ass. A beaten people do not act that way.

While I acknowledge that civil disobedience and even an open revolt may very well be needed I no longer consider such either inevitable or the end of The Republic. In my heart I believe a political solution is still possible. If not then from the ashes we will rebuild, better than before.

As for pelosi, reid and obama? They don't stand a chance. Really, they never did. They are fighting against the fiercest and freest people in history. They will go down as what they are. Usurpers and liars and deceivers and history will surely damn them.

I am an Optimist.

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Utah Blogger

I found a new site by a guy in Utah. For those who don't know, I went to high school in St. George, Utah where Lu and I met (Her family is among those who settled southern Utah).

The site is Three Rounds Brisk. http://threeroundsbrisk.blogspot.com/

He's a Marine, family man and working American who definitely has his head on straight. Go by and read the musings of another American Warrior.

We're in the process of moving back to Utah so it's good to know men like TMJUTAH are out there. You know, just in case.

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01 March 2010

The Emperor Speaks

Was perusing my favorite blogs when this one by Emperor Misha over at the Rott http://nicedoggie.net/ caught my eye.

http://nicedoggie.net/index.php/archives/565

It's a beautiful essay on Americanism and definitely worth a few moments of your time. Go and read it.

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Dog Stuff

By this point, you, my legions of followers, probably know that Lu and I are dog lovers. We have 2 knuckleheads. Trooper is a 14 year old Black Lab and Chrisi is a 13 year old Black Lab. Chrisi is Troopers half sister so no hanky panky was allowed. That's Chrisi in red on the left and Trooper in Blue on the right. Doing what they do so well. Keeping the concrete in place. Good dogs.


Chrisi is the one always getting into trouble of various kinds, usually ending up with her having a wound of some type. Trooper is the one who gets the sores and infections and general nastiness. We do as much doctoring as we can and usually can handle most of what comes up (Stitches excepted. Thanks Chrisi!). Both have had extensive surgeries. Chrisi had a dysplastic hip repaired and Trooper had one replaced. When we can't fix it ourselves we have a great Vet.
http://national.citysearch.com/profile/816879/salinas_ca/northridge_veterinary_hospital.html
Now, as a much beloved and superstar blogger I am inundated with requests from sponsors to endorse their product. I swear. Would I lie to you? I have so far managed to resist those temptations to sell my soul for a quick buck and retain my neutrality. That's why you can rest assured that if I do endorse a product it's of the very highest quality. Or I really have turned to the world's oldest profession. Whichever.

One such product my Vet recommended and for which I will be forever grateful is Schreiners Herbal Solution. http://www.schreiners.com/ We've used the stuff on Chrisi's wounds and Trooper's general nasties and it works great. I'm nursing some kind of oozing, suppurating pustule on the boy's neck right now and it's gone from "ewww" to "hey, that's looking pretty good" in about a week. The best part is that it contains Cayenne so they won't lick at it. Well, Chrisi does from time to time but I think it's just because the girl loves Mexican food. Don't ask me how I know.

So there you have it. The first Six endorsed product. For which I was paid exactly nothing. I ask you, is that fair?

So to all you business folks out there with money to burn and absolutely no idea where to spend it, may I suggest you give it to me to promote your product on a barely read little blog written by a near cretin? I'll get better, I promise.

No?

Crap.

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